Illuminated sign



March 10, 1931. M. NORDEN ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed Feb. 19, 1929 INVENTOR MorZmer/Vbrden/ w ll;

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1931 4 UNITED STATES nomnmn NOBDEN, or m roux. N. 1.,

ABSIGNOB TO GENERAL OUTDOOR ADVER- TISING CO. INC., 01 NEW YORK, N. Y.

mnu'iumarnn emu Application filed February 19, 1929. Serial No. 341,230. g

This invention relates to illuminated signs, and is of particular utility when embodie in advertising signs of the type characterized by.

luminous tubes containing noble ases such as neon, helium or argon, energize by an electric current, Hind forming letters or other symbols.

Signs of thistype as constructed at present are usually mounted in exposed positions and are subject to injury by falling objects and by frost, rain, and other atmospheric a cute. They tend to collect dust and are diflicult to clean without liability of damage to the tube.

The electrical transformer required for their operation usuall is housed as a separate unit and this ad s to the diliiculty and ex ense of erection.

ther disadvantages of the above mode of exposed presentation of the tubes include the limitation of the efiect produced to a simple outline, symbol word, or sentence with ut little contrast eilect or change of color, which is recognized to be very valuable in when tising as it aids to attract attention.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a luminous tube sign which is preferably free from exposed tubing, so that liability of damage to the tube is reduced to a minimum, and in pursuance of this object the luminous tube may be desirably cemented or otherwise suitable assembled with a sheet of glass or other material which is transparent or translucent in art or wholly, to transmit the light from t e tube, the sheet serving as a support and protective facing for the luminous tube preventing lodgment of dust on the tube, and shielding it from injulrious contacts by falling ob ects or missi es.

The protective glass can be cleaned easily without touching the tube. The glass facing with the tube attached can be installed as the face of 'a box containing the electrical transformer, terminals and other operating parts, so that the entire sign can be made up as a unit and can be transported as such without injury, and installed with minimum expense.

A wider variety of luminous effects can be provided than has been possible heretofore with the exposed type of luminous tubes. For example, by providing the glass facing with a pamted or frosted background, surrounding the region of the symbols occupied by the luminous tube, the words, letters or other symbols can be enlarged, and their advertisin effectiveness enhanced. If the glass be left c ear in the immediate vicinity of the symbols, a three color effect is possible, by providing luminous tubes of say reddish color and a background ofanother, contrasting, color, with the clear glass between, which yields a ver brilliant color effect.

This can lie modified and changed readily, without essential alteration of the sign structure, by providing auxiliary luminous tubes or lamps, within the box, and so disposed as to furnish a source of green light, or other colored light, through the clear tions. By using interior lamps 0% diiferent colors, wlth a suitable commutator, the different colors can be flashed at will, without disturbing the principal luminous tubes.

The glass facin with its associated lu minous tube, can be attached removably to the box or container, so that the sign can be changedwithout removing the box, and if the facing be hinged to the box, it can be swung back readily, without removal, to permit inspection of the luminous tube, and repairs, if needed, from time to time.

The above, and other features of the invention, are described and illustrated fully in the accompanying specification and drawings, and are pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, a

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of an illuminated sign in the construction of which the invention has been embodied. v

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the glass facing and attached luminous tube, on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration and description, the part designated by the reference character 10 is a luminous tube of the type containing a noble gas, such as neon, helium'or argon, having suitable electrodes 11 and 12, and bent to constitute symbols which form the word Unit.

lass porw changeable color effects,

This tube is associated with a sheet of glass 13, to the rear surface of which 14, the tube is cemented, as indicated at 15, and the glass is treated suitably, as indicated at 16, by 5 frosting or painting, or otherwise, to provide a background which is wholly or partially opaque, or relatively non-light-transmitting, according to the effect to be produced.

In the instance illustrated, an area of the glass around each symbol is left clear, as indicated at 17, constituting a visible enlargement of the symbols, so that the luminous tube, containing neon, yields clearly defined symbols of reddish hu'e, surrounded by a background of black or darker hue, with an intervening clear white area around each symbol.

The glass sheet is shown as having a frame 18 hin ed at 19 to a metal container or box 20, wit in which are disposed the usual electrical transformer 21 from which conductors 22 run out of the box to a suitable source of electrical current, and conductors 23 run 5 from the transformer to the lamp terminals 11 and 12, with a suitable controlling switch at 24. Other suitable switches and controlling devices may be provided as required.

In pursuance of another feature of the inao vention, an auxiliary luminous tube 25 may be adapted to furnish a luminous effect of contrasting color relatively to that of the principal tube 10, as for example a light of greenish hue, which will shine through the 35 clear portions of the glass facing around each symbol, and thus outline the symbols in een, with the red tube standing out in a. reief effect.

So, also, if it is desired to produce readily and-flash effects, other sources of light may be provided, as for example the ordinary sign lamps 26 and 27 of w ich those marked 26 may be of one color, and those marked 27 of another color,

4 a suitable commutator device 28 being provided to turn the li hts 26 and 27 on and (fJlf alternately, yiel ing desirable flash efects.-

It will be readily understood from the 5 above description that the illuminated sign of this invention constitutes a unit more readily installed than the conventional luminous tube signs, and that it is capable of a wider range of attractive effects, and can 86 be readily changed to substitute different symbols. Other advantages of the device may be summarized as follows:

There is no exposed tubing, and liability of damage to the tubing is reduced to a minimum. When the tubin the glass facing the latter urnishes-the luminous tubing with a rigid support which is novel in the art of constructing luminous 66 tube signs, and at the same time the glass facing presents a surface which can be readily cleaned without liability of damage to the tubing.

The daylight value of the sign is increased considerably, and it is possible to provide decorative and ornamental faces without unsightly channels and holes for the tubes.

The electrodes, wiring, transformer and other operating parts are protected from the weather.

The particular structure shown is merely illustrative, and other means may be adopted for carrying the invention into effect without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the background efi'ect indicated at 16 may be produced by a separately formed sheet of suitable material having cut-out portions forming the symbols and acting as a mask for the rest of the background.

By the expression translucent used in the specification and claims, it is intended to include also a transparent material, the word translucent being used in the sense of light transmitting rather than translucent in any restricted sense.

I claim:

1. An illuminated si n of the type having symbols formed by GEHI ated tubing, said sign being characterized y a face-plate of translucent material with portions treated to present the desired symbols and further characterized by arrangement of the luminous tubing in symbol form registering with the symbols of the facing, said tubing being secured to the rear surface of said face-plate.

2. An illuminated sign comprising a container, and a swinging closure therefor having symbols formed of luminous tubing secured thereto and movable therewith, said closure comprising a face-plate of translucent material and said luminous tubing being secured to the inner surface thereof.

3. A luminous sign comprising a supporting member of translucent material, and luminous tubing secured to,the rear face thereof and visible therethrough, said tubing and adjacent portions of said member bein arranged to present visible luminous sym ls, and means to illuminate the symbol portions of said supporting member with a color contrasting with that of said luminous tubing.

In witnem whereof, I have-signed this specification.

MOB/FILLER NORDEN.

is cemented to' 

